1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to holding devices, and, more specifically, to a method of using a holder for a kingpin lock device. A kingpin is used in the trucking industry to join a tractor to a flatbed trailer or a box.
2. Description of the Related Art
The trucking industry moves the vast majority of all goods within the United States. The volume is staggering. More importantly, the value of these goods is billions of dollars every day. Therefore, some means of protection and security is needed to minimize losses due to theft of the trailers or boxes that are hauled using tractors. For example, one method of security used in hauling tobacco products by truck is heavily armed guards and deception. The primary and loaded tractor trailer rig is sent in one direction, while a second tractor trailer rig is used as a decoy. However, the dominant method used for security is the kingpin lock. First, a kingpin is described.
The kingpin is a metal pin that is securely affixed to the underside of a trailer (or box) on a centerline proximate to the forward end of the trailer. The tractor, driven by a driver, backs under the trailer aligning a fifth wheel slot with the kingpin. Essentially, the pin is the male part and the fifth wheel slot is the female part. The slot is formed from two spring loaded jaws. Once the fifth wheel slot slips directly around the kingpin, a hand crank on the side of the trailer is used by the driver to raise and lower the landing gear of the trailer for the purpose of moving the trailer and/or parking the trailer.
The deceptively simple kingpin lock secures the trailer from being connected to a semi-tractor for the purpose of moving. These locks are hand-held detachable devices. The trucking industry primarily uses three different kingpin locks. The three kingpin locks differ essentially only in size. One manufactured by Transport Security, Inc. is a very heavy metal device using a movable detent in an arc shape to engage the kingpin in a scissors-like clamping motion around a portion of the kingpin. The other two kingpin locks are much smaller and are the primary kingpin locks used in the industry. More specifically, one is manufactured by Holland. All three operate by use of a key. For the latter two, a manually inserted small key is used to turn a cam connected to a metal tongue within a lock mechanism. The tongue is a metal cylindrically-shaped metal piece located inside a recess in a wall of a cylindrically shaped barrel. Then the cam moves the metal tongue inwardly toward the kingpin. Once the metal tongue contacts the kingpin, the key is removed from the lock mechanism, leaving the tongue in contact with the kingpin. The key is kept by the driver until the kingpin lock needs to be removed. Then the driver reinserts the key into the lock mechanism and the metal tongue is withdrawn using a turning motion of the key, thereby operating the cam, which in turn is connected to the metal tongue. The reason the kingpin lock cannot be removed from the kingpin is 1) because the key is necessary for locking and unlocking the lock, 2) the metal tongue cannot be slipped off the kingpin since the kingpin upper and lower diameters are greater than the center diameter where the metal tongue is in contact, and 3) because the metal cylindrical walls of the kingpin locks are thick enough to make removable by a cutting torch highly impractical and time consuming.
Unfortunately, the kingpin locks have some major disadvantages. Because the slot on the tractor is heavily greased, the kingpin immediately becomes greasy when first engaged. Then the kingpin lock becomes greasy almost immediately upon use. It seems simple enough to wipe off the grease from the kingpin lock in order to use it. However, limited space exists to store enough rags to be constantly wiping off the lock. Therefore, the typical location for the locks is in a cardboard box or on the floor in a small storage compartment located behind the cab of the tractor. The driver now is reluctant to use the pinlock because it is absolutely filthy, has been thrown in a box with other things, and cannot be easily cleaned because all the rags are just as greasy. Herein lies the key problem. Although the kingpin lock is required to be used to prevent theft, the drivers tend to not use it because of the inconvenience in looking for and using the pinlock.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple method of using a kingpin lock to eliminate the above mentioned disadvantages. Another object is to provide an inexpensive holder, at less cost than the pinlock itself. Still another object of the invention is to provide a method to use multiple embodiments to accommodate all three kingpin locks in the industry. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method for use of the embodiments in non-analogous fields, such as the railroad industry. To date, to the knowledge of the Applicant, no such method for such a device has been invented. The Applicant thinks the present invention overcomes a long-standing, and even ignored problem, that has resulted in the loss of billions of dollars due to theft of trailers or boxes in the trucking industry.